Raising Before the Flop
As with hold ‘em, the greatest regulatory tool for changing the character and tone of the game is a raise before the flop. If the Omaha game is very loose (many callers after each flop), you are less inclined to raise, since you would rather see your flop in place than bet on the come. Remember, in Omaha, even the best possible four cards (ace- king ace-king, both suited) are a big underdog to the rest of the field.
There are certain kinds of hands where you would like to reduce attendance in later rounds because your chances of winning will be increased. For example, if you raise in second chair with aces and get only a few callers, the aces might even hold up. Generally, raising in an early seat greatly increases your chances of winning with two high pair. There are also a number of low card hands where you would like to raise the other low card competition out. A low straight will hold up better against fewer players. The value of lower suited cards increases greatly against fewer floppers. Note that raises in the early seats are more likely to reduce attendance. Most callers of the original bet will stick around for subsequent raises.
For Students of the Game
If you would like to test some of the above concepts (without a computer), simply take the four cards you want to test out of a regular deck of cards and then turn over the remaining 48 cards, three at a time. Thus you have sixteen flops. Note how many of the sixteen flops work well with the four card hand you are testing. For example, if you are testing four cards containing one pair, two of the sixteen flops will give you trips. If you are testing two flush cards, then approximately two of the sixteen flops will yield a four flush.
Some Drawing Odds Outs”
Before proceeding with the next several chapters, some knowledge of basic percentages is necessary in order to discuss the likelihood of your hitting a drawing hand meaningfully. This can be accomplished without going into serious mathematics. The easiest method for determining the likelihood of making your hand is to count the number of cards left in the deck which will make your hand. Since you don’t know what cards are in your opponents hands, you consider their cards as if part of the remaining deck.
In poker parlance, the good cards which complete your hand are called “outs” (short for “outstanding cards”). For example, if you have two diamonds and the flop contains two diamonds, then (since thirteen minus four is nine diamonds left) you have nine “outs.” There are forty-five unknown cards in the deck (that is fifty-two minus your four cards and minus the three in the flop). Thus, the odds of the fourth street card being a diamond are nine out of forty-five or twenty percent. [That is about the most complicated math problem I will give you]. The mathematical combined odds of making the flush either on fourth or fifth street are about 36 percent — more than one-third of the time.
As with hold ‘em, the greatest regulatory tool for changing the character and tone of the game is a raise before the flop. If the Omaha game is very loose (many callers after each flop), you are less inclined to raise, since you would rather see your flop in place than bet on the come. Remember, in Omaha, even the best possible four cards (ace- king ace-king, both suited) are a big underdog to the rest of the field.
There are certain kinds of hands where you would like to reduce attendance in later rounds because your chances of winning will be increased. For example, if you raise in second chair with aces and get only a few callers, the aces might even hold up. Generally, raising in an early seat greatly increases your chances of winning with two high pair. There are also a number of low card hands where you would like to raise the other low card competition out. A low straight will hold up better against fewer players. The value of lower suited cards increases greatly against fewer floppers. Note that raises in the early seats are more likely to reduce attendance. Most callers of the original bet will stick around for subsequent raises.
For Students of the Game
If you would like to test some of the above concepts (without a computer), simply take the four cards you want to test out of a regular deck of cards and then turn over the remaining 48 cards, three at a time. Thus you have sixteen flops. Note how many of the sixteen flops work well with the four card hand you are testing. For example, if you are testing four cards containing one pair, two of the sixteen flops will give you trips. If you are testing two flush cards, then approximately two of the sixteen flops will yield a four flush.
Some Drawing Odds Outs”
Before proceeding with the next several chapters, some knowledge of basic percentages is necessary in order to discuss the likelihood of your hitting a drawing hand meaningfully. This can be accomplished without going into serious mathematics. The easiest method for determining the likelihood of making your hand is to count the number of cards left in the deck which will make your hand. Since you don’t know what cards are in your opponents hands, you consider their cards as if part of the remaining deck.
In poker parlance, the good cards which complete your hand are called “outs” (short for “outstanding cards”). For example, if you have two diamonds and the flop contains two diamonds, then (since thirteen minus four is nine diamonds left) you have nine “outs.” There are forty-five unknown cards in the deck (that is fifty-two minus your four cards and minus the three in the flop). Thus, the odds of the fourth street card being a diamond are nine out of forty-five or twenty percent. [That is about the most complicated math problem I will give you]. The mathematical combined odds of making the flush either on fourth or fifth street are about 36 percent — more than one-third of the time.
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